What does homonym mean?
A homonym is a word that has the same spelling or pronunciation as another word but a different meaning. The term is useful for describing forms that can cause confusion because readers or listeners may initially interpret them in the wrong way. “Bat,” “bank,” and “read” are familiar examples: the first two can share a spelling and differ in meaning, while “read” changes pronunciation according to its grammatical function. Homonyms are not synonyms, which have related or identical meanings, and they should not be confused with homophones, which specifically share pronunciation. The word comes from Greek roots meaning “same” and “name,” reflecting the idea that one visible or audible form can represent more than one concept.
nounA word that has the same spelling or pronunciation as another word but a different meaning. For example, “bat” is a homonym in its sporting and animal senses.
- A word that shares its spelling or pronunciation with another word but has a different meaning.
"The author's name was a homonym that led to two people receiving the same letter."
"“Bank” is a homonym with two unrelated meanings: a financial institution and the land beside a river."
"The lesson focused on homonyms such as “read,” whose pronunciation changes with its tense."
The plural is used when referring to multiple words or forms that share the same spelling or pronunciation but differ in meaning.
"The editor removed several homonyms that made the text unnecessarily confusing."
A homonym can be a language's most convincing disguise: identical words can point to entirely different things.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does homonym come from?
The English word “homonym” comes through Latin from the Greek homōnymos, formed from homos, meaning “same,” and onoma, meaning “name.” The Greek term referred to a person or thing bearing the same name as another. In modern English usage, it developed into a linguistic term for words that have the same form but different meanings.
Related word forms
How homonym is actually used
In modern usage, “homonym” generally covers words that share either spelling or pronunciation. The more specific term “homophone” is used when the shared pronunciation is the defining feature.
Easily confused with homonym
A homophone is specifically a word that sounds the same as another word, whereas a homonym may share either the spelling or the pronunciation while having a different meaning.
A synonym has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, while a homonym has the same form as another word but a different meaning.